Electrical systems have undergone short product life cycles over the last decade. A system built just two years ago can be considered obsolete to a third or fourth generation variation of the same application. Accordingly, passive componentry and circuitry built into these the systems need to evolve just as quickly. However, the evolvement of passive componentry has not kept pace. The performance of a computer or other electronic systems has typically been constrained by the frequency operating speed of its slowest active elements.
Passive componentry technologies have failed to keep up with these new breakthroughs and have produced only incremental changes in composition and performance. Advances in passive component design and changes have also focused primarily upon component size reduction, slight modifications of discrete component electrode portioning, dielectric discoveries, and modifications of embodiment manufacturing techniques or rates of production that decrease unit production cycle times.
At higher frequencies, energy pathways should normally be grouped or paired as an electrically complementary element or elements that work together electrically and magnetically in harmony and in balance within an energized system. Attempts to condition propagating energy portions with prior art componentry have led to increased levels of interference in the form of EMI, RFI, and capacitive and inductive parasitics. These increases can be due in part to imbalances and performance deficiencies of the passive componentry that create or induce interference into the associated electrical circuitry. These conditions have also created a new industry focus on passive componentry whereas, only a few years ago, the focus was primarily on the interference created by the active components from sources and conditions such as voltage imbalances.
Other disruptions to a circuit derive from large voltage transients, as well as ground loop interference caused by varying voltage or circuit voltage potentials. Certain existing transient or surge and EMI protection embodiments have been lacking in a need to provide adequate protection in one integrated package. Therefore, there remains a need in the art for a universally exploitable solution to overcome these and other deficiencies in certain prior art that is also cost effective and will have a longevity of usages despite the ever-increasing operating frequencies of future circuits.
The new electrode arrangement overcomes the disadvantages of certain prior art devices by providing a multi-functional, component electrode arrangement and shielding element for conditioning of propagating energy portions along conductive by-pass pathways or circuitry. The new electrode arrangement also possesses a commonly shared and centrally positioned energy pathway or electrode(s) that can in many cases, simultaneously shield and allow smooth energy interaction between grouped and energized pathway electrodes. The new electrode arrangement, when energized, will allow the contained energy pathways or electrodes to operate with respect to one another harmoniously, yet in an oppositely phased or charged manner, respectively.
Coupled selectively into a circuit and energized, the new electrode arrangement and other elements will utilize three isolated energy pathways within one integrated package in order to provide simultaneous EMI filtering and energy surge/energy transient protection and/or suppression while still maintaining an apparent even or balanced voltage supply between an energy source and an energy-utilizing load.
The new electrode arrangement will simultaneous and effectively provide energy conditioning functions that can include noise and/or energy bypassing, noise and/or energy filtering, energy decoupling, and/or energy storage. Variations of the new electrode arrangement use commonly found and accepted materials and methodologies for its production.
Today's passive component manufacturing infrastructure will be provided with an unprecedented ability to produce the new electrode arrangement through the usage of current equipment and machinery to allow for an ease of adaptability or production changeover for producing a new product that gives the end user improved final performance for circuitries as compared to certain prior art products.